For years, Dr. Kevin J. Nohelty has been the highest-paid public school district superintendent in Illinois.
He has made more money each year than the heads of 10 public universities in Illinois. He’s made more each year than the mayor of Chicago. He’s made more each year than anyone in the U.S. Congress. He’s even made more each year than the president of the United States. His pay is more than half a million dollars annually, paid by residents in south suburban Riverdale and Dolton, where the average income is one-tenth of Nohelty’s.
Up to today, Nohelty has been in charge of Dolton School District 148, which oversees 10 grade schools. He’s been there since 2016. In that time, his salary has nearly doubled. But during that same period, the district’s financial profile has fallen from the Illinois State Board of Education’s top rank to its lowest rank, and Dolton 148 is now the only public school district in Cook County on the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Watch List.”
That spurred NBC 5 Investigates to start asking questions about a possible disconnect between Nohelty’s income, the district’s low financial status with the state, and the tax burden of the residents who pay his salary. No one, however, would talk to us, until Thursday afternoon.
That’s when Nohelty’s attorney contacted NBC 5 to say that Nohelty resigned from his job, citing “a smear campaign…. riddled with baseless allegations, innuendo and repeated threats of investigations and discharge” which he alleges is being orchestrated by the board’s new president. His attorney says Nohelty’s resignation has nothing to do with NBC 5’s inquiries.
Significantly, however, Nohelty’s portrayal of a toxic atmosphere is very different than how things apparently were this past spring. That’s when the Dolton 148 Board of Education – under different leadership – voted to give Nohelty a raise of $60,000 over the next two school years – despite protests from residents.
“It’s ridiculous that he’s paid more than the city of Chicago superintendent,” said one Riverdale resident at that board meeting. “Quit padding somebody’s pocket. You are doing the kids a disservice.”
“Half a million dollars?” said another resident “I don’t recall ever being on a financial watch. What made you consider to even do something like that?”
(This afternoon, Nohelty’s attorney said the high salary is due to Nohelty’s handling both superintendent duties and the job of the school’s business officer.)
We found that Nohelty does have decades of experience in Chicago-area school districts – most recently as an assistant superintendent in charge of business or finances for school districts in Hanover Park, Palatine, Wilmette, Lincolnwood and Harvey. But when NBC 5 Investigates began to research his past jobs (as well as his job with Dolton 148), we found repeated allegations of financial mismanagement – all of which Nohelty denies – as well as apparent unpaid bills and other issues in Nohelty’s personal life.
NBC 5 Investigates repeatedly reached out to the school board members, as well as to Nohelty himself, with our findings. We left voicemails, sent repeated emails, and mailed a letter to Nohelty’s home – all requesting comment. Neither Nohelty nor the members of the school board replied to any of our requests, until Nohelty’s attorney contacted us today.
NBC 5 Investigates found Nohelty was arrested by the Illinois State Police on March 9, 2024, on the Interstate 90 tollway near Belvidere and charged with driving under the influence, along with two traffic charges. He pled no-contest, according to his attorney, to misdemeanor DUI and was ordered to pay fines, attend classes and serve a year of supervision, which will end in October. If the supervision is served to the judge’s satisfaction, the charge will be removed from Nohelty’s driving record, as is customary in Illinois.
We also found court filings alleging that – between 2015 and 2024 – Nohelty had defaulted or not made timely payments on six different credit cards; that eviction papers had been filed twice against him for non-payment of rent; and that a bank started foreclosure proceedings against a home he owned with his then-wife after they allegedly made no payments on their mortgage for 18 months. All these apparent unpaid bills and credit card balances added up to $52,259.89, according to public records. In the case of the mortgage foreclosure, Nohelty eventually sold the house and paid off the mortgage.
We also discovered allegations of financial questions in Nohelty’s professional work. NBC 5 Investigates found court documents alleging that Nohelty “failed to properly account for District Funds” of more than $1.4 million dollars at Lincolnwood School District 74, where he was assistant superintendent for business from 2010 to 2012. Nohelty said the charges were false and politically motivated due to his support for previous board members.
Nohelty was dismissed by Lincolnwood but soon got a job with Harvey School District 152. But NBC 5 found court records showing that, in Harvey, he was put on paid leave for allegedly failing to inform the Harvey school board of a transfer of $3.8 million dollars of reserve funds. Nohelty denied the charges, and the school board ultimately sided with him and reinstated his job.
More recently, at Dolton, Nohelty’s former second-in-command said in a whistleblower lawsuit that she was fired because she’d “raised concerns … related to fiscal management [by Nohelty].” That lawsuit is pending. Once again, Nohelty has denied all the allegations.
Even with today’s resignation, that whistleblower lawsuit will likely continue. And although Nohelty’s $537,197.31 salary is apparently no more, he will likely immediately be eligible for a state pension. NBC 5 Investigates is filing a public records request to see how much Nohelty will continue to be paid, each year, in retirement.